Redhawk man keeps an eye on the sky

Everybody talks about the weather, but a local man is doing
something about it -- at least the way local weather is
reported.

In August 2000, Redhawk resident John Toman launched
Temeculaweather.com, a Web site dedicated to bringing Web surfers
the most complete and up-to-date weather information about Temecula
available.

Toman, 34, and his family moved into their home seven years
ago.

"One of the first things I noticed was that Temecula had a
different climate than many places," he said. "I tried to find
information about the local weather, but there wasn't much
available."

Toman is no meteorologist. But the software engineer and
co-owner of Compendium Technologies, a San Diego computer firm,
said he's always had an interest in climate and weather.

"This is just one my side projects," he said.

In 1995, Toman went to the local Radio Shack store and bought a
$20 digital thermometer that gave both indoor and outdoor
temperature readings.

"I began recording the temperatures every day, but gave up after
a year," he said. "I travel quite a bit in my business and I'd be
gone for a few days at a time, so it was tough to keep up the
measurements."

A year later, he discovered an automated weather station in the
pages of Popular Science magazine and ordered it. The new station
could be connected into his home computer to record the data.

Still not satisfied, Toman began writing software programs to
enhance the system.

"It took me about a year to write all the software I need," he
said. "Then it took me about another year to put it online."

He also began adding to his weather measuring equipment.
Currently, gauges and monitoring devices in his back yard, on a
deck off his bedroom and on the house's chimney measure
temperature, precipitation, wind, relative humidity, barometric
pressure, dew point, wind chill and the heat index.

"I've already got about $700 in equipment that I'm using, not
counting my computer and the hundreds of hours I put into writing
the software," he said.

Future plans include installing a video camera in his back
yard.

"I'm going to point it right at the (Pechanga) casino," he said.
Pictures from that camera will be posted on the Web site, and
enable Toman to monitor the local weather from his Mission Valley
office.

In addition to raw numbers, Toman posts a daily weather forecast
on Temeculaweather.com.

"I gather information from several sources, including the
National Weather Service, and tailor it for Temecula," he said.
Most days his forecast is right on the money. Some days, like one
recent Thursday, it just misses.

"I forecast a high of 87 degrees for today and it's already 90,"
Toman said. "I blew it just like the guys on television."

Producing a daily forecast has given Toman a new respect for
those who forecast the weather. "I have a lot more appreciation for
what they do," he said. "It's very tough to predict the
weather."